Steve Jobs Illustrates
Age Discrimination by HR Employment Recruiters In High Tech
Unwarranted
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Ra'anana,
Israel --- October 6, 2011 .... If Steve Jobs answered an ad today
for work on LinkedIn.com or Monster.com chances are he would never
even get a response.
At
the age of 56 he would be deemed a dinosaur who would be completely
out of touch with modern technology and integrated marketing channels.
That at 56, he would be lucky if he was using email. HR and executive
recruiters in high tech, SEO, social media and digital marketing
have instructions by most companies not to engage anyone over
45.
Steve
Jobs, the man who founded Apple and turned it into the world's
must successful high tech, computer company died of pancreatic
cancer yesterday. Jobs, with an estimated net worth of $7 billion
dollars, was responsible for creating the personal computer industry,
teaching people how to use a mouse to click on objects and how
to make hardware easy to use. Steve Jobs created the iPod portable
music player, the iPhone (telephone, Internet communicator, music
player) and the iPad tablet. Consumer products which changed how
we use and consume content in the digital age.
In
addition to technology, Jobs served as served as chief executive
of Pixar Animation Studios and became a member of the board of
directors of The Walt Disney Company.
But
yet, if Steve Jobs had not been so lucky in creating some of the
first computers out of a garage in Mountain View, California and
was simply a hard working, marketing professional who worked for
Microsoft or HP and was laid off due to a recession where would
he have been in the last few years?
Regardless
of how deep his knowledge of software, hardware and marketing
may have been - he could have wound up selling shirts at Macy's
or frozen food at Walmart. If Jobs had not acquired the personal
contacts that he accumulated over the years and simply relied
on a resume to secure a hi tech position in 2011, he could have
been collecting unemployment.
Many
assume that those over 40 or 45 are not in touch with modern technology
yet Steve Jobs was one of those middle aged professionals leading
modern technology. Many social media, digital PR and SEO employers
assume that in order to secure fresh ideas one needs to tap into
a market of 20 - 30 year-olds. That those who are over 50 are
completely obsolete.
When
has youth had a higher value over experience? That those high
tech marketing professionals who have made the jump from conventional
media to online sales and integrated marketing channels are to
be ignored?
One
highly respected tech professional recently interviewed for a
chief operating officer position with a West Coast technology
company. The headhunter was very positive and told him that he
was "the leading candidate". The CEO congratulated this
50 years plus professional on his stellar technology background.
Then he heard nothing for two weeks. He then called the headhunter,
who then told him that the company was seeking "a person
with more technical experience." This candidate writes for
CNET!
Age discrimination is alive and well. In fact age discrimination
is killing high tech.
There's
a TV commercial being aired on ESPN right now that illustrates
two hiring managers discussing the two job candidates sitting
in the lobby. We only see the backs of these candidates' heads.
One is dark brown and lustrous and the other brittle and gray.
The HR recruiters debate should they go with the experienced candidate
though "he won't have energy" or hire the fresh young
guy? And then we see that the two candidates are the same person
before and after a hair dye job.
More than
two-thirds of tech professionals over 45 have said that ageism
is a "significant problem" according to a study released
a few years ago. That nearly one in three workers over 45 said
they have either witnessed or experienced "age bias."
During the
next ten years, mature workers will overwhelm the high tech industry
by their sheer numbers. According to American Demographics, seven
baby boomers will turn 50 every minute in the US from now until
2014.
Steve
Jobs at 56 was still creating, producing and marketing new consumer
products at the time of his death. Jobs was widely described as
a visionary, as a pioneer and perhaps one of the key leaders ever
in the field of business, innovation and product design. Many
say that Jobs had "profoundly" changed the face of the
modern world in having revolutionized at least six different industries
and was the finest role model for all chief executives".
Jobs
was working smarter, faster and more creative than those half
his age. Steve Jobs does not just leave us with an iPhone or graphics
that you want to lick, but with the life example that experience
and hard work is still alive after 55.
Steve
Jobs will be remembered for many things and many quotes but perhaps
these words are the most fitting: Be a yardstick of quality.
Some people arent used to an environment where excellence
is expected.
And
excellence, like a fine wine, takes time to achieve.
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